NL WILD CARD SERIES: PHILLIES VS CARDINALS

October 8, 2022

Rob Thomson

Busch Stadium

Philadelphia Phillies

Pregame Press Conference

Q. You were able to get Alvarados out of the game after only facing a couple of batters. Do you feel good tonight about where your bullpen is given how you were able to manage yesterday's game?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah. Everybody is available. The only guy not on the roster -- or that's on the roster that's not available is Wheeler tonight. So it's full go.

Q. Could you just speak to the confidence you have in José even after yesterday, Alvarado?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah. He hadn't given up a home run since

June 30th. He hadn't given up a run in a long time. I have complete confidence in him. I think he only threw that cutter, looked like it was right down the middle, and Yepez just beat him to the spot. So I'll run him out there in the same situation again tonight if it happens.

Q. How big of a spot ended up being there for Sosa? I know you were confident in his ability, despite not having seen him for three-ish weeks or whatever, but do you think Bohm scores on that play?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah. I think it's a little more difficult for Bohmer to score on that play. Just watching him go first to third on the ball hit to the right fielder, I mean he looked completely healthy. He was flying around the bases. So he looks good to me for sure, yeah.

Q. And if there would be a Game 3, Ranger is starting. There's no opener situation. You're pretty sold on Ranger being the guy out of the gate?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah. We'd talk about it, but in my mind the next game we play, Ranger is going to start.

Q. I'm wondering, some of your guys are playing in their first postseason game and obviously you won in a dramatic fashion. I'm wondering what you thought of how they handled the moment early in the game, late in the game, young guys, old guys who had never played in the postseason before?

ROB THOMSON: I thought they handled it tremendously. And I think just the way we played defense shows you that they were comfortable and calm and no panic involved. And, really, the at-bats, there was no panic that I sensed. We faced a good pitcher that kept us off balance. They made some good plays as well, but I really felt good about just the way they handled it and their composure. They were very poised throughout the entire game.

Q. And you had Domínguez get up late in the game. What was the situation that he would have come in? I know I'm testing you here.

ROB THOMSON: I'm trying to think.

Q. Because he did get up.

ROB THOMSON: Yeah. I'm trying to think of what it was.

Q. That's all right.

ROB THOMSON: But I think it was the -- for the Pujols, Goldschmidt, Arenado, part of their lineup. I'm just not sure what inning that was. I can't remember.

Q. With everything unfolding in that ninth inning and all the excitement and emotions, how were you able to just stay just calm?

ROB THOMSON: I don't know. I just -- that's just the way I am, I guess. I just try to keep thinking through the game and keeping my poise so that we make good decisions, or the best decisions we can and not get too caught up in the moment, I guess.

I think that's really the key, just for me anyway, is just to just keep thinking through the game and keep thinking ahead and where we're going to pinch run, what pitchers we're going to use out of the bullpen, if this happens, if we're up four, we're using this guy. If we're up six, we're using that guy. Just keep thinking through everything.

Q. From a mindset standpoint, you're up one. Are you sending a message to the team in terms of trying to be aggressive and trying to make things happen, or have you historically been one game at a time?

ROB THOMSON: Oh, it's one game at a time, yeah. Always is. One pitch at a time, one out at a time, one inning, one game at a time. That's -- I think that's the only way you can play it. I really do. Because you don't know what tomorrow is going to bring. So you just take care of tonight's game, and we'll figure it out tomorrow.

Q. Obviously waited for this postseason moment and you guys get that win. What's emotion like or mood in the clubhouse pregame today?

ROB THOMSON: Kind of the same as yesterday really. Everybody was really calm and relaxed yesterday, having fun. The music is playing. They're doing their thing. They're getting in the cage. Pitchers are out on the field doing the running and throwing and in the weight room. I think it's just a normal day. That was one of the messages I had for them prior to the series is that I want everything to stay the same. I want consistency in our approach and how you go about your routines, everything stays the same. We just play baseball.

Q. Kind of on that note, was there any point that was the most challenging to keep it calm and keep it steady? And would that be when you take the lead, is it a challenge then to not get carried away there and for people to stay grounded?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah. I think it's a bigger challenge when you're behind than when you've got the lead, for sure. I mean, because the tendency is when you're behind is for people to try and do too much to get you back in the game. And that's when you get out of your game and your approach and your consistency. So I think that's the time that I'm most worried about the panic setting in or whatever, more so than when we do have the lead.

Q. Rob, Aaron Nola over the years has taken a little bit of heat for Septembers and some performances. I know you've always kind of viewed him as -- I guess have you always viewed him as a big-game pitcher?

ROB THOMSON: Always. Everybody knows his stuff. But if you know Aaron and know how he goes about his daily routine, how he prepares, how he competes every day, I mean he is flat line. He's just the same guy every day. And we've been fortunate this year that, one, we were able to give him a lot of rest at the All Star break.

We had every Monday off almost in September so we could get him on five days' rest a lot of times. So he was really fresh in September. His last start was one of the best starts he's had all year. So I think that whole September thing where he's going to run out of gas and all that stuff, we can put that to bed. He's a big-game pitcher. I trust him with everything I've got.

Q. Was your plan, your bullpen plan, yesterday was it Alvarado and Eflin? Was that what you were looking at?

ROB THOMSON: Yes. If we got to that part of the game, seventh, eighth, ninth, I felt like we could piece it together with those two. And if we had to somebody else, we'd have to, and we did. Alvarado gave up the two-run homer so we went to Robbie for an inning, down two. And we were fortunate to come back and then Eflin closed it out.

Q. With Nola, his walk rate is way down this year. Obviously I asked him about it yesterday. He talked about just challenging hitters in years past where he may have tried to be careful. How has that made him a better pitcher this deep into his career?

ROB THOMSON: Yeah, I mean, his walk to strike out ratio is like off the charts. And it just -- I think it speaks to his courage to attack hitters, his belief in his own stuff. And he's been very consistent with being able to command his fastball this year. And when he commands his fastball, everything else plays up; cutter, curveball, changeup, and he's been able to do that. Very consistent. So, yeah, the year he's had as far as walks to strike outs is just incredible, and he's been truly consistent all year.